Venezuela Frees Political Detainees Amid US Pressure

email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Caracas: Venezuela has begun releasing a “significant number” of political prisoners, including foreign nationals, in what authorities described as a gesture aimed at promoting “peaceful coexistence,” a move widely seen as a concession to the United States.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Jorge Rodríguez, Speaker of Parliament and a leading figure in Venezuela’s ruling establishment, who said a large group of Venezuelan and foreign detainees were being freed immediately. He did not specify how many prisoners were released or from which detention facilities.

 The releases mark the first such move since Delcy Rodríguez, former deputy to ousted leader Nicolás Maduro, assumed power with the backing of US President Donald Trump, who has indicated Washington would tolerate her leadership in exchange for access to Venezuela’s oil resources.

 The White House credited Trump with securing the prisoners’ release. “This is one example of how the president is using maximum leverage to do right by the American and Venezuelan people,” Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said.

 Among those freed was prominent Spanish-Venezuelan human rights activist Rocío San Miguel, who had been detained since February 2024 over allegations of involvement in a plot to assassinate Maduro. Spain’s foreign ministry confirmed that five Spanish citizens were released.

 Security was tightened around El Helicoide, Caracas’s notorious intelligence detention centre, as families gathered outside hoping for news of detained relatives. Human rights groups estimate that more than 800 political prisoners remain in Venezuelan jails.

 The development comes amid heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington following US military action that led to Maduro’s arrest and transfer to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Trump has since suggested that the US could oversee Venezuela for an extended transitional period and gain access to its vast oil reserves.

 Meanwhile, the US Senate has advanced legislation aimed at limiting further military action against Venezuela, reflecting growing concern among lawmakers over the administration’s handling of the crisis.

 Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and energy cooperation has emerged as a central issue in negotiations between the two sides. While Delcy Rodríguez criticised the US role in Maduro’s removal, she has defended proposed oil sales to Washington, which would see revenues used to purchase US-made goods.

 Public opinion in Caracas remains divided, as uncertainty continues over the country’s political future and the extent of US involvement.